


Thankful

by orphan_account



Category: Shefani, The Voice (US) RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-11
Updated: 2016-12-11
Packaged: 2018-08-31 14:45:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8582470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Long chapter about domestic life and the pictures of them out shopping. I ramble for a bit at the beginning because I didn't have a prompt when I started so sorry if it's a bit boring. Anyway, enjoy :)





	1. Remembrance

It's a brisk November morning as I stand on my back porch at my ranch drinking my coffee, staring off thinking of nothing and everything watching the sunrise. It's been an emotional weekend here in Tish; the anniversary of Richie's death always is. But this time was a little different, this time, for the first time, I wasn't alone. Gwen was here. 

At first when she asked if she could come along, I of course said yes but was a little nervous of how it would go. I'm a man of many faults and getting into brooding moods over my brother on this weekend is one of them. Besides my mom and sister, Ive always spent this weekend of the year by myself. I tell people it's because it's a tradition but the truth is I'm scared I'll take out my frustration on whosever around me, and taking it out on Gwen or the boys is the last thing I'd ever want to do. But couldn't say no to her when she asked, not when she looks up at me with those big brown eyes of hers and leans up on her tip toes just to be closer. Could anyone say no to that? Besides, I've come to realize that she knows me better then I know myself sometimes, and knowing the mood I get in, she didn't want me to experience that alone. 

And boy am I glad she did come. This was the first time that this weekend wasn't filled with tears and wallowing, but instead was more of a celebration and remembrance of him. It's probably what my brother would have wanted me to do from the beginning. Sure Gwen gave me space and let me be more on the quiet side of talking but she didn't shy away from the reason we were in Tish to begin with. She'd keep me talking and smiling by asking about Richie and to hear more stories about when we were kids while we shared a bottle of wine over dinner or go on a walk to our tree. It made me happy to think back on all of those good times and be grateful to have those memories of him instead of depressed for losing him too soon. How she knew that's exactly what I wanted and needed is something I'll never know but God do I love her for it. 

Taking a sip of my coffee I suddenly feel two arms come around my stomach from behind and a body lean into me. Even if I were blind, I'd know that touch anywhere. My entire body warms up and tingles from head to toe as I breath my girl in. 

"Whatcha doing out here all by yourself cowboy?" Her voice is groggy as I lift my arm and bring her in front of me, caging her in between my body and the railing overlooking the land. It's early and I can tell she's not quite awake as her eyes are still a little foggy and half closed. She looks beautiful and the way the sunrise is hitting her blonde hair is seriously doing things to me. I lean down and give her a sweet, longer then usual morning kiss that I feel her smile into.

"Just thinking baby. About my brother, about how grateful I am you came with me this weekend. Usually this weekend sucks but you've somehow turned into something to be cherished instead of something to dread." 

She smiles up at me and then buries her face into my chest as she snuggles against me for warmth. Feeling a shiver go through her whole body I suddenly realize she's only wearing a tank top and sleep shorts out here and she must be cold. "Gwen, baby, cmon let me get you inside. You must be freezing darlin." I go to move but her grip on me only tightens and she doesn't budge. 

"No Blake I'm fine, really. It's so beautiful out here in the morning. Just a little longer. Please." Turning around so her back is leaning against me, I smile into her neck after placing a small kiss as I wrap my arms around her tiny body. "Besides, you always keep me warm cowboy." I give a small laugh because we both know that I will probably spend the rest of my life making sure that Gwen is warm enough. And I'm perfectly happy with that life. 

"So what was last year like? I remember when you went and how upset you were and how I wished I could be here with you." Her words are so sweet and pure that it causes me to instinctively wrap my arms around her tighter as if I'm scared she'll float away from me. 

"Yeah, last year was tough. Since it had been 25 years and all. But actually, I remember going to his grave and this is going to sound crazy, but I couldn't stop talking about you and the boys." I honestly had forgotten about that day entirely until just this moment. 

Gwen turns her head slightly and smiles up at me. "Are you serious?" 

"Yeah, I swear. I went there like I usually do to pay my respects, and sometimes I talk to him ya know? And I just remember blabbering on about you and the kids and how happy I was and how I wished he could meet you and stuff. I remember telling him that I knew I'd found 'the one.' I'm pretty sure I hadn't even had the guts to tell you that yet." We both giggle at that last part as she tickles her nails up and down my arms holding her. "I remember feeling like even though you weren't with me here last year, I never felt alone. It's like you're always with me ya know?" 

Turning around so she's facing me, her eyes are literally sparking as she wraps her arms around my neck and pulls me down for a kiss. I can tell my words made her emotional by the way her lip quivered a bit which causes me to just hold onto her kiss a little bit longer. "I still wish you could have known him though Gwen. I'll always wish that." 

"Me too baby. But honestly, I feel like I do know him. All the stories I hear from you and the way your mom and sister describe him, it's just clear that so much of him is in you Blake. The heart and loyalty and devotion and admiration that you always talk about with him is exactly what people use to describe you baby. I might not have ever met him, but there's not a doubt in my mind that he's beyond proud of the man you've become." 

My eyes have filled at this point as I try to shake my emotions away not wanting to cry at her perfect words. I look away until two soft hands hold my face and bring my eyes back down to hers. There is nothing but love and comfort in her eyes as she smiles up at me silently telling me it's ok to let go. And so I do. Burying my face into her neck, I quietly break into her embrace. I haven't cried in awhile, probably not since the divorce. Things have been amazing after all, I had no reason to. And to be honest, this isn't a sad cry. It feels good to let go, and to be held by the woman I love. It almost feels like a release of guilt for being so freaking happy this past year while Richie is gone. But Gwen's right. With everything. He's such a huge part of the man I am that it's ok to be happy, to not wallow, to smile when remembering him. It's what he wants and it's what i need. 

"God I love you so much Gwen. I'm lost without you."

"And I love you cowboy. Forever." As I Back my head away from her neck, she runs her fingers through my hair to nurture me just a Little bit longer like she does with her boys. I notice how freezing her fingers are and suddenly I feel awful for keeping her out here so long. 

"Baby can I please take you inside now and get you warmed up. I can't have you catching pneumonia before your big award tonight." She blushes as the word award feeling a little embarrassed but finally agrees to go inside. Not letting go of her arms around my midsection, I lead her to the giant couch by the fireplace where I set her down gently. I grab her favorite throw blanket from our room and wrap her up while I start a roaring fire before going into the kitchen to get her some hot tea and start breakfast. 

After a few moments I look back to find that she drifted back to sleep. It's early, and we've got time before we have to leave so I let her sleep. Besides, she looks so beautiful with nothing but the morning light and flames illuminating her face. I bring the blanket up over her shoulders to make sure shes warm enough before kissing her on the head gently. I love how even in her sleep she can't help but smile after one of my kisses. I know I should go pack, but I can't help myself from laying down, spooning behind her and snuggling up to her body. And from the way she melts into me from behind, I can tell she likes it too. I'm not tired, and I know I won't fall back to sleep but right now I can't bring myself to be apart from this woman. So instead of showering or packing or returning phone calls and emails, I hold onto her. I hold onto our life together... feeling nothing but the warmth of the fire and the warmth of her love.


	2. Woman of the Year

"Honey, really it's fine. You don't have to go it's ok. I know how busy the live shows can get." A few hours later we're on the plane back to LA discussing our plans for the evening. It's going to be jammed packed. Besides the normal chaos of filming the live shows, Gwen is being given an award at Glamour tonight. I'm so proud of her and even though she's beyond embarrassed and shocked for receiving such an honor, i know as well as everyone else just how deserving she is for it. But it's going to be tough doing both of these tonight. Tough, but not impossible. 

"Baby, there is no way I'm missing your big night. I can do both, I just might miss the beginning of ceremony but I'll be there to see you up there... I promise." The way she smiles back at makes me realize how much me being here truly means to her. I don't think she would have been mad if I couldn't be there, just maybe disappointed that our schedules didn't work out. But I'm determined to never have her be disappointed in ME. I know for a fact how many times her ex husband let her down time and time again with both her and the boys and damnit I'm not going to be that guy. So I don't care if I have to leave universal studios before the cameras stop rolling, I'm going to be by my girls side the whole night. 

Landing back in LA a few hours later, we pile into Gwen's Range Rover and make our way back to her house. Her glam team is already waiting for her when we arrive so I give her a kiss on her temple and make myself busy in the other room so I'm not in anyone's way. Sitting outside on her black leather couches, I can here them laughing and talking upstairs and I smile knowing how much fun Gwen has on days like this. We don't go to a lot of these events anymore. And we hardly ever walk a red carpet. I sometimes feel guilty for taking that part of her life away from her because she seemed to do it a lot more before we were together. And sometimes those fears turn into insecurities as to why she doesn't want to walk red carpets anymore. Just as my mind starts to go a little AWOL, I feel two perfect lips on my neck from behind. 

"Mmm Danilo that feels nice." Causing her to throw her head back and laugh, I bring her arm around so that she's now sitting on my lap straddling me in her robe.

"Sorry cowboy, wrong lips. Guess your stuck with me." I laugh as she leans her whole body into mine and gives me a somewhat filthy kiss. I wish more then anything we could take this further but know we can't considering the amount of people in the next room. 

"I promise you Danilo doesn't kiss like that sweetheart. Don't you need to get ready though?" Checking the time on my watch currently resting on her hips I notice that both of us need to get going. 

"Yeah I'm on my way cowboy, I just wanted to find you and try to have one more quick make out with you before Gregory starts my makeup. I'm going to go crazy not being able to kiss you until tonight." 

 

"Smart thinkin' gorgeous." Leaning in I take her mouth in mine and start going a little crazy devouring her lips and tongue. Gwen's hands are running through my hair as she tugs on it gently and pretty soon her hips start grinding into me as my erection grows. In this position, her head is above mine and I can tell from her sexy smirk that she secretly loves having the upper hand during these little make out sessions. My hands start to explore as they slowly creep up her thighs under her white robe and I want nothing more then to untie it in front to expose her naked body but know I have to have SOME restraint. All that so called "restraint" goes out the fucking window as soon as Gwen starts softly moaning into my kiss causing my entire body to vibrate. Both of us seem to forget where we are in that moment as her fingers suddenly go to my top buttons of my shirt. Before either of us have time to react, a familiar voice interrupts us causing us to both jump.

"Gwenny, time to start your- WHOA! Sorry about that!" All I see is the back of Gregory's head as he shields his eyes and makes his way back into the house. We both start laughing as she buries her face into neck out of embarrassment. I'd be lying if I said this was the first time someone from Gwen or mines team walked in on us. As long as it's not the boys, we both can laugh it off pretty easily. 

"Sorry for cock blocking you Blake but I've got to get our girl beautiful for tonight." Helping Gwen up while she situates her robe, i lean down and gives her a small peck on the cheek while I rebutton my shirt.

"Well, She already looks pretty damn beautiful if you ask me." Beaming up at me gratefully, she takes my hand in hers and hugs onto my arm as we make our way back inside to say goodbye. 

"So I'll see you tonight?"

"Absolutely, I wouldn't miss it for anything darlin. And I can't wait to see your dress! I  
Know you'll look stunning." 

"Thanks baby, and good luck tonight! I'm sure your team will do great! I love you. See you tonight." 

"See you tonight... love you too." 

****  
God I hate LA traffic. This drive from the voice to where the ceremony is should only take ten minutes but we haven't moved in twenty. Luckily I got out of the lot faster then I thought so I'm ahead of schedule but still! I don't want Gwen thinking for one second she got stood up. Besides, I can't wait to see her in her dress. We face timed earlier and she sent me some pictures but nothing showed off the whole look. A look I have a feeling will leave me drooling. I don't know what the dress exactly looks like because Gwen likes surprising me, but I do know that I should hopefully be matching her. I pulled her stylist Mariel aside earlier to ask her what shirt I should wear under my blazer. I know Gwen could care less about how I look but I don't want to embarrass her by clashing next to her runway gown in some plaid cowboy shirt. I love that she lets me be myself but I want to make just a little effort in fitting in with her. Even if it is just changing my shirt for a night. Mariel thought it was adorable the effort I was putting in to surprise Gwen so she had a few dress shirts sent over to my trailer at work for me to choose from. She even threw in a pocket square which I know for a fact Gwen loves fiddling with. So now, all dressed up, sitting in a car not moving, I make the executive decision to walk the rest of the way. It's not far, and will be faster then this stupid traffic. Besides, I got a hot date waiting on me. 

About twenty minutes later, I make it to the venue where a doorman is waiting to take me to my seat. The ceremony has begun and the room is dark as a video is playing on stage about one of the honorees. I start scanning the room to try and find Gwen. And then I see her. Well, I see her back. Her completely, bare back. Fuck. I'm a goner and I haven't even seen the front. 

The video stops and the crowd stands as they applause the woman taking the stage. I take this opportunity to walk to my seat next to the most beautiful girl in the room. Her eyes light up as I kiss her temple. 

"You're here!" There's a surprise in her voice, almost as if she didn't think I would come. No doubt left over disappointments from her ex breaking promises. 

"Of course I'm here. Where else would I be?" 

"How did you find me?!"

"I always find you Gwen." She smiles at my cheesy line before taking my hand in hers as we all take our seats. "Besides, no one could miss you in this dress. I mean wow baby. You literally take my breath away."

"I'm glad you like it cowboy." She winks at me before turning her attention back to the stage and I feel my pants grow a little tighter. Damn. This is going to be a long night of keeping my hands to myself. 

About an hour later, the last award was to be given out and we all knew it was Gwen's. The night has been pretty heavy listening to these women share their stories and I can tell from how Gwen is squeezing my hand that she's nervous. As James comes out on stage and starts talking about her I can feel her start to shake a bit. I bring her hand up to my lips for a soft kiss before whispering "You'll do great" into her ear. 

As they call her name and the crowd cheers on their feet, I can suddenly see all her nerves go away and she's quite literally glowing as everyone stares at her but she's simply staring at me. Watching her on stage accept her award graciously and with so much love, I can't help but get a little choked up. I'm so proud of her, so proud of everything she's accomplished since the day I met her. 

"To Blake Shelton for kissing me back to life..." Did she really just say that? Wow I must be red as a tomato as I hear the whole crowd swoon at her sweet declaration. God I love that woman. 

She attributes a lot of her success to me and our relationship but the truth is she would have gotten here on her own. Maybe it would have taken longer, maybe it would have been harder and not as rewarding, but she's a fighter. She's a survivor. That doesn't mean it doesn't feel amazing to be the one by her side during the journey. Yeah, she would have made it here on her own, and maybe we would have both eventually been happy on our own too, but we're happier together, we're stronger together. That's what makes us work, that's what makes us successful. We choose to be with each other because we're simply better together then we are separate. It's that easy. 

As she exits the stage I'm the first to stand to my feet applauding her speech as I count the moments until I can get her in my arms. Seeing her on stage was the first time I truly saw her whole dress and my god she looked breathtaking. How is that incredible creature mine to love? It doesn't seem fare sometimes. About twenty minutes later, me and Todd and Jen are being ushered into the courtroom to eat dinner. I grab us some drinks and an extra glass of wine for when Gwen joins us and take our seats. Luckily it's not too long before she's back by my side. 

"You were amazing up there sweetheart." 

"Really? I was a little nervous. But I just tried looking at you the whole time to calm down." I kiss her forehead knowing I can't mess her lipstick up yet because she's got interviews to do and pictures to take but my god my hands have a mind of their own under the table we're sitting at. She giggles at me and blushes as she tries carrying on a conversation while my palm casually slides up her thigh under her lace gown. 

"Cowboy, you're going to get us in trouble." 

"I can't help it babe, you look so fucking sexy. I'm seriously sweating." I can see the sultriness in her eyes behind her dark lashes and smokey eye makeup. I decide to be a little bold considering the setting by leaning in and giving her a deep kiss right on her bare skin where her neck meets her shoulder. I can feel her shiver as my tongue takes a quick swipe as I seem to have affected her. "I've been wanting to taste you there all night baby." 

Taking a deep breathe, I see her scan the room before she grabs onto my wrist. "Follow me." 

Not making any eye contact with anyone as I let her lead us to a quiet area, I find her taking a sharp turn to a corner by the back exit that is hidden from all eyes and cameras. Before i can say a word her lips are on mine for the first time in hours and I can taste her tongue with mine. It's a long, deep kiss that has me seeing stars as she backs away slightly to catch her breath. 

"Fucking finally cowboy. More please." As she bites her bottom lip in a way to tease me, I reclaim her mouth in mine and allow my hands to roam her perfect bare back as I press her body into me as if we're wearing no clothes at all. Sadly,Just like earlier on the couch, we both know this can't go any further but there was no way neither of us could wait to be alone hours from now. After about twenty minutes of making out, we pry ourselves off of each other to return back to the crowd. Her lips are literally wiped clean and currently all over my mouth as she giggles at my now sparkly mouth and chin while She adjusts my shirt collar and fixes my pocket square like I knew shed love doing. 

"By the way cowboy, you look like super handsome tonight! I love this shirt. It makes your eyes pop! And we like totally match too, isn't that crazy!" 

"It is crazy baby. Guess we were just meant to be." I give a little wink at her before one last kiss as I watch her walk to the powder room to reapply her lipstick. I can't help but notice there's a little saunter in her walk as she probably knows fully well I'm watching her the entire time. What a tease. 

As soon as she's out of my sights I make my way to the bar to get a drink. After taking a sip I hear a familiar voice behind me talking to the bartender. 

"A vodka for me and this tall cowboy good sir." Turning around I find Chelsea coming towards me with open arms. 

"Hey sis, it's good to see you! How've you been?" After getting her drink I lead us away from the bar to an empty table so we can catch up. 

"Oh you know, just trying to get by after last week. How are you? Our girl did pretty well tonight." 

"Damn straight she did." Just then I notice Gwen enter the room as she gets stopped in conversation from Bono. Even though she's talking to one of the most famous rockstars of all time, that doesn't stop her from staring at me with heart eyes wanting the conversation to end.

"Yo Blake? Hello?" Chelsea jokingly waves her arms in front of me trying to obstruct my view of Gwen. 

"Ha! Sorry, but I mean can you blame me? Look at her." 

"Why don't you just make it official and ask that girl to marry you. I mean you two are pretty much a married couple already. Cmon cowboy! What are you waiting for." 

"Who says I'm waiting?" That seemed to get her attention as I cock an eye brow and give a little smirk.

"No! Really? When? Do you have a ring?" 

"Chelsea I've had a ring for about seven months." It's the truth too. I bought it right before my album came out. There's been about a dozen times she's almost found it too. Hiding it has gotten harder and harder now that we're living together. "I've just been waiting till the right time, when she's ready ya know. I don't want to scare her off. I know she's the one, I know she loves me but I also know how protective she is of her boys and doesn't want to rush into anything. And I'm ok with that, really. I'll wait forever for her. I just don't want to chase her away." 

"I don't think there's any chance of that happening. I've never seen her this happy Blake. She's literally glowing, and it's not because of the makeup or the awards or the number one album or tour. It's because of you cowboy. You've got nothing to worry about." 

"Yeah, thanks Chelsea. Maybe on Christmas then."

"What's a maybe on Christmas?" Suddenly Gwen is right beside us sitting down at the table. Crap I hope she didn't hear what we were talking about. Luckily Chelsea played defense like a pro. 

"Blake was saying maybe over Christmas you'd come over for a dinner party I'm having. It's been forever since you were over. Tammy and Chunk miss you." 

"Aw I miss those little bunnies too. But yeah we should get together soon." Phew that was a close one. I owe Chelsea big time. Wanting to let them catch up on girl talk I make my exit over to Todd who seems to be in need of rescuing talking to quite a few feminists. I kiss my girl on the cheek before politely excusing myself. As I walk away I can't help but blush a little as I hear the two girls continue talking about yours truly. 

"Your cowboy is looking good tonight Gwen."

"My cowboy looks good every night girl." 

****  
As the evening winds down, I can finally assume it's time head home. I'm exhausted but didn't want to cut Gwen's evening short in case she wanted to stay longer. It's her night after all. Not mine. But once I see her give a yawn behind her manicured hands, I don't feel bad asking if she's ready to leave.

"Tired baby?" 

"Exhausted. Maybe we can head out soon." 

"No problem, I'll call for the car." As I make my way to the valet, Gwen makes her rounds with saying her final good byes and thank you's. Ten minutes later her head is leaning against my shoulder as I see her eyes close after an exhausting day. Waiting for the car to pull up I can tell she's cold as I take my blazer off and drape it over her shoulders and back. I would have offered sooner but I knew she'd say no as to not want to ruin her look. As the limo pulls up, I signal to the driver that I got the door as I tip the valet and help Gwen get her dress in the car. We both collapse into the back seat where she falls onto my chest finally resting her body for the short drive home.

Waking into her home, we go straight to our bedroom where she immediately takes off her heals that must be killing her feet. "What a magical night. This was incredible. Thank you for coming." 

"Thank you for letting me come. I've never been prouder baby. You deserved all that love tonight. And more." 

"The only love I want more of is from you mister. I want to pick up where we left off earlier at that party." Not missing the hint I walk over to her in front of the bed and take her in my arms kissing her deeply. Finally alone, finally no glam team, finally no party guests or photographers, finally I can show Gwen why she's my woman of the year every fucking day. 

Dropping to my knees I've been dying to run my tongue up and down her chest since I first saw her dress. I kiss down in between the fabric that barely covers her cleavage until I get to the tiny hole of skin right above her center. I feel her breathing escalate as I slowly move the fabric to the side to expose her perfect breasts as I take them each in my giant palms. Missing her mouth and the noises she makes into mine, I return to her lips as my hand makes its way to the clasp behind her neck holding this dress on. With the tiniest flick of my wrist, the gown falls to the ground leaving her completely naked except for a black lace thong. No matter how many times I've seen her naked, I can't help but stare every chance I get.

"Jesus Gwen. You're so beautiful." 

"Kiss me cowboy." 

While our tongues play I lift her slightly as I sit her on the edge of the bed and I make my way down her body. I can feel her body tense up a bit as she anticipates what I'm going to do to her. I admit I like it when she gets a little nervous like this. I kiss the inside of her thighs as I feel her skin break out in goosebumps. My hands make there way to her thong as I peel her panties down off her body, leaving her completely naked. I can tell without even touching her just how wet she already is from the little traces of her juices between her legs. I can't contain myself any longer as I start kissing her perfectly smoothed lips as my tongue delicately enters her. From the way her back arches up off the bed you'd think we hadn't had sex in years instead of days.

"Fuck you taste so good baby. I've been wanting to do this all night." 

"God yes, baby, me too! Don't stop!" Her moans are making me harder then ever as I feast on her, driving her closer and closer to the edge. I feel her legs start to tremble and I know she's ready to scream louder then what she's already doing. 

"Mmm baby you're close, I can tell." I continue to massage her clit with my tongue as I slowly enter her with one of my fingers causing her to hit a pitch I'd never heard before.

"Fuck! Blake! Baby! I'm coming! I'm coming!" I feel a rush of moisture flood my tongue while I hold onto her thighs as they instinctively try to clench shut against my head. I continue to enter her with my tongue during her orgasm but do so gently and slowly as to drag out her climax as long as possible for her. 

When her breathing starts to calm down, I suddenly feel her tiny hands pulling me up onto her as she gives me a filthy kiss. 

"Mm I taste good on you cowboy." 

"Damn straight you do darlin." 

"Now get these clothes off so I can feel you inside of me." I laugh at her audacity while standing up to take my boots and jacket off.

"Yes ma'am." 

 

About an hour later, after I made her scream two more times, after she made me explode harder then ever before, after we cleaned ourselves up and washed the sex off of our bodies, we finally climbed into bed after an incredibly long and exhausting day. I held her in my arms as she snuggled into me while wearing an old Police band tee with holes in it and me in nothing but plaid pajama bottoms. This day was filled with so many emotions and so many memories it's hard to remember them all already. But that's ok, because I know tomorrow will bring just as many new ones. Just as many new reasons to fall in love with her all over again.


	3. First Fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long chapter about domestic life and the pictures of them out shopping. I ramble for a bit at the beginning because I didn't have a prompt when I started so sorry if it's a bit boring. Anyway, enjoy :)

The morning after the Glamour event I woke up after sleeping like a rock. Gwen had thoroughly exhausted me in bed last night and I can already tell I'll be walking a little funny today. With my eyes still closed I stretch my arms out in search of my little blonde rockstar but all I get is cold white sheets. I check the time to see that it's around eight o'clock and I suddenly hear the high pitch laughter of a toddler coming from the kitchen. That's right, Gwen's parents were dropping the boys off this morning after spending the night at their house. I always miss them when they're gone but boy was I glad they were not within ear shot last night. One of the many things I love about Gwen is how vocal she gets during some of our love making rounds, and last night was one for the books. 

Getting out of bed i brush my teeth quickly and then throw a white t-shirt on before retreating into the kitchen. In there I find Apollo in his high chair eating cheerios and smashing fruit while Gwen is on her laptop sipping tea. Her back is to me so she doesn't notice me walking behind, that is until the little one shouts my name. 

"Blakey!" He's already hyper this morning I can tell. I don't mind though, his little smile lights up my day every day. 

I walk over and kiss the top of his curly head while stealing a cheerio. "Hey buddy, enjoying your breakfast?" He nods his head and then continues playing with his food while I make my way to Gwen who I can't help but notice is beaming back at me. 

"Morning darlin." I give her a small kiss on the cheek before leaning behind her to grab a mug for my coffee. I don't really need to be touching her this much but I can't help but cop a feel every chance I get. 

"Good morning cowboy. How'd you sleep?" She can't stop smiling and I can tell she's thinking of last night and how great it all was. I can't help but feel a little proud for satisfying my girl so well. It's a feeling that never gets old. I pour some coffee then sit next to Gwen at the table as she bats her lashes up at me like a little tease. 

"I slept great, like a rock. Probably because someone completely wiped me out last night. Adams going to be making fun of me for walking weird today." She blushes at my words and rolls her eyes before wiping Apollo's hands and face. I take his plate to wash it at the sink where I feel her hug into my backside. 

"You were incredible last night cowboy. In every way. You always leave me exhausted and yet I always want more." Her words are just a whisper into my ear from behind. Not that Apollo could understand, but still, we try to keep it PG around the kids. She kisses my back and then goes to her baby boy who she picks up out his high chair. I notice her flinch a little when she lifts him up and I can't help but worry if she had hurt herself.

"You ok babe?"

"I'm fine... let's just you're not the only one who's a little sore this morning cowboy." She gives a small wink before turning around to go give Apollo a bath while I stay drinking my coffee and replaying last nights events in my head over and over again.

****

The rest of the afternoon was pretty relaxed as we took the dogs for a walk and then Apollo to the park in Gwen's gated community before getting the boys from school. I love afternoons like this, it feels like we're a normal family. We're barely at home for more then five minutes though before I have to go Universal studios for the voice taping tonight for eliminations. Although elimination nights can be a bit stressful, my job is relatively easy since I don't really have to do anything other then smile at the cameras and congratulate my contestants. I give Gwen a kiss goodbye by the front door after telling King id check his spelling homework when I get home in a few hours and promise Zuma to play Xbox with him after dinner. 

"See you tonight babe. Love you."

"Love you cowboy. And good luck tonight!"

 

It's around 7:30 when I pull back home into Gwen's driveway. It's only been a few hours but I already miss them and coming home after work to the smell of dinner and voices of a family is something I've dreamed of my whole life. Walking into the kitchen I see the boys sitting around the round table eating while my girl is cutting up pieces of chicken for Apollo. 

"Blake's home! Did you win Blake?" King shouts in enthusiasm as soon as he sees me enter. 

"Hey guys. And yeah sort of, all three of my artists made it to next week."

"Yay! Team Blake!" Gwen cutely chants and it's not before Apollo starts mimicking her. "Are you hungry cowboy? I made stir fry for the boys." 

"Have you eaten yet?"

"Not yet, I'm not very hungry right now." 

"I'll wait and eat with you." I try and always wait to eat dinner with Gwen. Sometimes it's a lot later then the boys when they've gone to sleep so we can enjoy a quiet meal together but it's also because i sometimes want to make sure she actually sits down and remembers to feed herself. She works so hard and has such a busy schedule that I know from other friends who are mothers that you can legitimately forget to have lunch or dinner sometimes. Plus Gwen is so thin to begin with, and with the weight she lost from touring, I don't want her losing anymore. She's perfect how she is and she's still be perfect if she were thirty pounds heavier. I just want her to stay healthy and have her energy. 

A few hours later with Apollo asleep and the boys getting ready for bed, Gwen and I finally sit down for our own dinner time together. I notice her only make up a plate for me as she joins me on one of the bar stools at the kitchen island so it's not long before I get up and grab a second fork for her while pushing the plate of food in between the two of us. I don't want to draw attention to her not eating a lot lately because I don't want to embarrass her so I figure just doing this subtly is the best bet. And I can tell she appreciates it as she gives a little grateful smile towards me as I set the second fork down in front of her. Gwen admits sometimes that she's not used to being with someone so observant of her. I love the compliment but it also breaks by heart a little that she was ignored for twenty years. 

"So cowboy, next week is thanksgiving..."

"Uh huh." I can tell she's nervous since she's finished eating and is now playing with her hair.

"Do you like... have any plans?" 

"Well I sort of thought I'd be spending it with you guys. If that's ok..."

"No! Of course it's ok! It's what I wanted! I just didn't know if you were going back home to Tish to see your family."

"Baby girl, YOU'RE my family. And anywhere you and the boys are is my home. So if that's an invitation, then I accept." She's looking at me with giant heart eyes right now and I can tell she wants to kiss me as she wets her lip and bites a little. I'm making her wait a bit for it because it's a little fun to see her get restless sitting one foot away from me looking like she's going to explode.

"Oh my gosh Blake you better kiss me right now before I jump you!" I laugh at her adorable words before pulling her onto my lap and giving her a sweet playful kiss. "You're my family too cowboy. Always." 

We kiss a little bit longer with her sitting on my lap, nothing super sexual or crazy, just sweet and innocent. "I think we're going to have to go shopping tomorrow though for kitchen stuff. I haven't cooked a thanksgiving meal in years and Gavin took most of the appliances when he moved out because it was the so called chef in the family." 

"That's fine, I know how to cook a turkey. I do it every year! It'll be great having everyone over. I remember last year being so bummed we couldn't spend it together. I mean I know it was a little too soon to spend the holiday together with each other's family and we already had separate plans but damn did I just want to be with you." 

"Aw, really baby? I didn't know that." Her voice is soft and girly in a way that almost makes me cry. 

"Yeah. I mean I didn't want to come off super needy or suffocating that early in our relationship... But It was seriously killing me Gwen to not be with the person I was most thankful for in the entire world." 

I'm looking down at my feet while I play with her nails in attempt to not show how nervous I am confessing this to her. I don't know why I'm embarrassed, if anything I know she loves it when I say stuff like this and it gets me major brownie points. But I also still try and impress her with acting like the "cool" one. We could be together fifty years from now and I'll still be in disbelief that this goddess actually fell for a hillbilly like me. 

Still looking down I suddenly feel one of her soft little hands under my chin as she pulls my face up slightly to meet her gaze. Her big brown eyes are shinning down at me and as soon as her perfect lips reach across to mine I know I suddenly have nothing to be embarrassed about at all. 

"I'm so in love with you Blake Shelton." 

****

Waiting in bed while I hear her getting ready in the bathroom I casually flip through the channels trying to find something to fall asleep to. I smile as I hear her singing some song across the room as she throws on a black tshirt and pulls back the covers to climb in next to me. I love the smell of her lotion and face wash. It's seriously intoxicating in the best way possible. 

"Lift please." Gwen's adorable request always makes me smile as I lift my arm up for her to snuggle into every night. I lower my arm around her and I can feel her whole tiny body relax into my side. 

"Want me to put a movie on babe?"

"Maybe just some Jimmy Fallon. I'm going to be asleep in like ten minutes." I can already tell she's talking with her eyes closed and half asleep so I give her a kiss on her forehead and she kisses my cheek while whispering a sweet good night into my neck. 

And boy was she right about falling asleep soon. Gwen was out cold before the opening monologue was even finished. By the time the show is wrapping up an hour later, I'm still awake but I can tell she's pretty deep into her slumber. From the way she's gripping onto my shirt with her tiny little fist and making small moans under her breath, I can tell she's dreaming. Gwens got an active imagination and dreams more then any person I know. Sometimes they are nonsense or hilarious. But other nights they are more like nightmares that leave her anxious and scared as she reaches out for me. As horrible as that feeling must be for her I admit that I secretly love being there to help her feel safe again. It's no different then when one of the boys has a scary dream as well. Just being there to hold them and make them feel safe again is one of the easiest and most rewarding tasks as a man and as a father. 

I remember the first time Gwen fell asleep on top of my chest. It was more then a year ago and we were barely friends at that point. It was in my trailer after a long day of shooting. She came over to "check on me" but I later found out it was the first night the boys were with their father since the split and she was too upset to go home. So we ended up venting to each other for hours. Gwen had already heard my story about Miranda but hearing her finally share her side was pretty intense. She began sobbing and hyperventilating that I could do nothing but hold her close and let her cry herself dry. It went on for an hour and that poor thing was so exhausted mentally and physically that she literally cried herself to sleep on top of me in my arms. I'd never thought of Gwen in any other way besides a friend or coworker at that point, but holding her in my trailer that night and letting her rest, I remember feeling like I'd never allow myself to let her go. 

It's crazy to think it's been more then a year since that night and here I am still holding her in my arms. God I'm lucky to be the one she reaches out for. Feeling especially grateful in this moment I wrap her up tighter in my embrace while turning the tv off. Her fist loosens on the front of my shirt and I know now her bad dream has passed. Kissing her head, I close my eyes and fall asleep knowing exactly what I'll be dreaming about tonight. 

 

*****  
"Oh god Blake"

"Yeah baby, right there? That feel good?" 

"Uh huh, don't stop." 

This is by far my favorite way to start the day: Inside of Gwen. 

She had left before I woke up to take the kids to school and when she got home and put Apollo down for his nap, she'd surprised me by joining me in the shower. I'd never met anyone who enjoys shower sex as much as my Gwen. She'd made me laugh out loud when she once explained it's because she loved the fact that we're both dirty and clean at the same time. I don't really care the reason to be honest, because as soon as I feel her long nails tickle up my wet torso, my dick gets hard in less then two seconds flat and it's not long before I have her pinned up against the cold tiled wall moaning out my name like a fucking prayer. 

I'm entering her from behind as her whole back body is pressed up against my front while her arms are stretched up behind my neck as I mark hers all over. One of my hands travels down south where I start playing with her clit doubling her pleasure and pretty soon she's grabbing my other fingers to suck on in her mouth. I'm not sure if it's to cause my dick to get harder or to muffle her moans but either way it feels incredible. 

"Fuck... baby... I'm gonna..." her words are breathy as she's having trouble speaking.

"You gonna come baby? Let go Gwen, I got you." I start thrusting into her harder and I feel her entire body start to tremble indicating she's ready to explode. 

"Ohhhh godddd! Blakeeee!" The moisture that floods around my dick is so overwhelming that I start to slow down my movements to let her catch her breath during her orgasm but Gwen is having none of that. "No don't stop! Keep going baby!" 

Wow. I'm impressed. She wants me to fuck her through her orgasm. I think I can manage that. Knowing this shower sex isn't quite done i do my best to hold off on exploding myself. Normally I would have climaxed as soon as Gwen did but the idea of making her scream another time is too satisfying for me to give up on. 

As soon as her screams have subsided and her breathing is regulated, she quickly pulls away from my thrusts and backs me up to sit on the shower bench. With one of her hands on my shoulders to steady herself, she grabs onto my hard dick with the other to guide the tip into her. She's so fucking wet that she glides all the way in easily.

"Jesus Gwen." I rest my head up against the wall as soon as she's sitting directly on my lap with my dick inside her. It's not long before she starts picking up a rhythm and riding me on the bench. The way the water is hitting her from behind is such a sexy sight that I'm literally growing inside of her. 

"Oh god, darlin, shit, I'm going to come soon." I'm trying to hold off as long as possible but I can't contain myself any longer. She takes my mouth in hers and literally sticks her tongue down my throat while whispering for me to come inside of her. And so I do.She wraps her whole body around me as I start coming inside of her powerfully. So powerfully in fact that it actually causes Gwen to climax a second time. 

Afterwards, both out of breathe, Gwen stays wrapped up on top of me while I soften inside of her. She leans her forehead against mine and plants little kisses all over playfully while I regain blood flow to my brain. 

"Well... I think I know what I'm going to say I'm thankful for next week." She giggles at my words and nuzzles into my neck. 

"As long as you don't make that your toast at dinner in front of my dad!" 

 

After we finally wash up and get dressed, we spend the rest of the morning playing with Apollo and his blocks while making a list of everything we need to go shopping for. He seems to be a little bit in a mood as he clings to Gwen more then usual which I'm hoping wears off once he wakes up a little more... otherwise shopping with a grumpy toddler will not be a fun experience. We make some lunch for ourselves and the little one and then make our way to the store to buy all of this stuff for the holidays. When I pull into the parking lot we both immediately notice the guys with cameras off to the side. It's just the one which almost makes it more annoying then a whole gaggle of them. Neither of us really care anymore about them but it's always a different situation when the kids are around. No matter how many years Gwen has been doing this fame thing as a mom, she still tenses up when she's got them.

"Hey babe, want me to drop you two off in the back exit and I'll go in the front?" I can tell shes considering it as she looks in the back to a curious Apollo whose looking around but just shakes her head while grabbing my hand.

"No it'll be fine. We'll go together. It's just the one." She's right it was fine. He stayed pretty far away so I don't think Apollo noticed too much as we quickly got his stroller out and got into Bed Bath and Beyond. Once inside, we were safe. We had a couple customers smiling and maybe even sneaking pictures but oh well that's life. We shopped for almost two hours in there. It was exhausting. But also sort of fun. It felt like we were shopping for housewares for our home together. We filled up two carts and decided to call it a day when Apollo started getting really fussy and throwing tantrums. Gwen was getting a little overwhelmed as well with her baby boy being this way and also knowing there was most likely more cameras outside. 

With the help of a cashier pushing one cart and me with the other, Gwen darted to the car with Apollo. This paparazzi was different then before though. Instead of taking pictures from afar, He had a video camera and wouldn't stop talking. Gwen absolutely HATES it when they talk to her when she's with her kids. She's kind and sweet to everyone and will even smile a few times for these assholes but if you start screaming things at her when she has her children around, she will go so mamma bear on you that they won't know what hit them. 

I have a lot of patience for these guys and it takes a lot to upset me so it  
doesn't bother me as much as Gwen but once I see how confused Apollo is getting and how flustered it's causing Gwen to be as she searches for the keys, I decided to distract this guy with a little small talk. This guy is so stupid as he tries to ask me questions in order to bait me into saying something stupid. I might talk slow but I've been doing this for a long time and know how NOT to get into trouble. But I play along and answer politely while I load the trunk and watch Gwen and Apollo get into the car and situated. She still looks really upset and I can tell this conversation needs to end soon cause she's about to lose it. Finally when the dumbass mentions homosexuals in the country community while Gwen is lifting Apollo out of his stroller, I see that look in her eyes of pure disgust. 

"You need to leave like right now. I'm serious, I have the baby here." She says it calmly but I can see the look in her eyes of seriousness. So I close the trunk, stop talking and get in the drivers seat to get us the hell out of here. Making sure everyone is buckled up, I make my way over to the kids school for pick up. The entire drive over is tense as I can tell she's upset with what just happened. Upset at me or upset at the guy is something I don't know. She's looking out the window, too far away for me to reach over and touch. Finally at a stop light I try to get her attention. 

"Hey... babe, you ok?" 

"I'm fine Blake." Uh oh, she's pissed. 

****

Hours have passed since picking up the boys and a total of five words have been spoken to me. Gwen is thoroughly upset and I'm determined to know why. I mean, I sort of know why I just hope I get a chance to explain my reasoning to her. When she goes upstairs to tuck in King and Zuma, I stay down to wash up dinner. By the time she comes back down, she has no expression and just says a quick good night while walking to the other room. 

"Gwen... are we not going to talk about this?" She stops by the dining room table, her back still turned. 

"I'm fine Blake, please I'm just tired." Her voice is shaky, but I'm not letting this go.

"Bullshit. You're upset. At me I'm assuming. So just talk to me. Please Gwen."

"I can't." She's turned and facing me now as her eyes start to fill. "I can't talk about this with you." Seeing her cry is my kryptonite as I instantly make my way towards her. 

"Why can't you talk about this with me." I'm standing close to her to let her know I'm there but I'm not touching her. 

"Because you'll leave. They always leave." Her tears turn to sobs as I can't help but hold her realizing this is a lot bigger issue then I thought. This is our first fight, and she must be terrified that I'm going to take off afterwards. 

"Every time I would get upset or we'd get in a fight in the past, Tony or Gavin would just walk away. I'm so emotional which I can't stand sometimes so I can't help but cry and they hated that so much and get so annoyed at how sensitive I was that they'd just leave me. And I don't want that to happen to you Blake. I don't want to drive you away." I haven't seen her cry like this in a long time. Her old insecurities are coming out from her previous relationships of loneliness and rejection and its braking my heart.

"Baby... Hey honey listen to me." I place my palm on her face to make her meet my eyes to show how sincere my words are. "I'm not going ANYWHERE. Ok? I promise. I don't care if you hate me and want nothing to do with me in that moment or vice versa, I'm always always going to stay to figure this out. I promise Gwen. Nothing you say could make me leave you and the boys. I'm not those other guys. I'm nothing like them." I feel her body relax a bit but there's still some fear in her eyes.

"I know you aren't baby, it's just, we've never been in a fight before or gotten upset and I'm just scared and don't know how to do this." She's moved away from me at this point and I go to sit in the chair next to her.

"Ok well, it was bound to happen at some point. I mean, relationships take work and hit bumps and even though there's not a doubt in my mind that we're soul mates and we'll be together forever, that doesn't mean we don't have a disagreement every now and then. But we just have to keep talking to each other, ok baby? I don't want you to ever say you're fine when you're not, or to go to bed without saying what's on your mind. Nothing you say will scare me away, I can handle it."

"You're right, I'm sorry." She sits down in the chair next to me as I wipe away a tear running down her cheek.

"Just tell me what's up Gwen. Is it about the video camera? Im sorry, i should have told him to fuck off." 

"It's just... Blake, you know I don't like talking to them when the kids are around. And I get that you and me are different, and I would never tell you to not do something, but it's just a different situation with children ya know? I wouldn't care if it were just you and I walking to our car and they were there. But with them, you have to have boundaries otherwise they just keep coming back. Now that you talked to them for like ten minutes and answered their questions they'll come back and do it again and again cause they know you won't ignore them. And that's the exact opposite of what I want for the boys. I just... I just wish you recognized that it's not just about you and me and instead saw that what you do affects the kids now." It's silent for a little bit as she starts getting emotional again. I didn't realize how upset that had made her and expressing her frustration with me was just as difficult. I admit I'm taken a little aback from her words and if I were a younger version of myself I may have gone on the major defense but I promised her I wouldn't get annoyed and leave. Plus in a lot of ways she's eighth, but still, I'd do it the same again. So I take a deep breath and explain my side of the story. 

"Honey... do you know why I talked to that guy?... Do you honestly think I gave a shit about the stupid questions he was asking me? Or that I didn't know he was just trying to bait me into saying something that would make for good tv? I know that, just like I know how much you hate it when they get close to you with the boys and that you never EVER talk to them. But I also know that the longer I talk to them, the longer I play their game of acting dumb, then the longer the camera and attention is in my face and the less it's in yours and Apollo's." I see her body relax a bit as she looks at me with her giant doe eyes.

"Gwen, because of our jobs and our public image, I can't protect my family like any guy in the world can. Im not allowed to tell him to fuck off or punch him in the face for bothering you.... But what I can do is be the distraction for ten minutes while the two of you get safely into the car and buckled up without being rushed. I can walk in to a restaurant separately and answer questions while you guys sneak out the back into our car. I can pose with a fan for a selfie at the movies while you take them to get popcorn and candy. These are all the tiny thighs I am allowed to do Gwen." 

"I know you don't talk to them, and that's a major rule of yours that I respect, but baby, seeing how flustered you and Pollo were getting was absolutely breaking my heart. He looked so confused and upset that I had to do something. Cuz I swear Gwen, if he had taken one step closer to you and the baby I would have thrown him and his camera across the parking lot. It would have been a great headline." That made her break a smile a bit and I feel myself relax as well. I decide to be a little bold and take her hand in mine hoping it's ok now. "I know you're used to all this attention and you know how to handle it, we both do. But I also know that since we got together it's increased a ton. And one of my biggest fears is that one day you'll rush into your car to try and get away from them and forget to put your seat belt on or something worse. It's seriously a nightmare of mine. So please, PLEASE believe me when I say that I wasn't answering his questions to defy one of your rules or to get on tv. I was just trying to make sure my family got into the car safely. Cuz this is all I'm allowed to do Gwen. It's the best I can do." 

I didn't expect to get emotional but I find myself getting choked up at those last words. Being able to protect her and the boys is my job, something I chose to do, and damnit I'm going to take it seriously. They are my family, and as a father, their safety and security will always come first. 

It's her turn to be quiet now as I stare down at the floor trying to not let tears fall from my eyes. Suddenly I feel her hand leave mine and I think for a split second she's leaving me, still upset. Instead I see her kneeling on her knees in front of me in my chair in between my legs as she places bother her hands on my face. My eyes meet hers that I see are filled with tears. But she's smiling. A genuine, content, loving smile. She kneels up and wraps her arms around me and holds onto me tight as I bury my nose into her neck and find myself sniffling back more tears.

"Blake... I'm sorry. God I'm so sorry."

"It's ok baby. You have to be protective of them it's your job."

"I know, but I should have known that you are too. God, baby, you've done nothing to make me thing that you're not always taking care of them as well. I don't know what came over me, I'm sorry. I guess I just sometimes forget that I'm not alone anymore." 

"Sweetheart, as long as I'm around, you're never going to be alone ever again." 

 

She leans her head back and I lift her up to sit on my lap with her arms still wrapped around my neck. "You're so incredible for making sure we were safe. And I love you for it. God, I just love you so much Blake."

"I love you too Gwen." 

We sit holding each other for a few moments in silence until she breaks first. 

"So Was that, like, our first fight cowboy?" She giggles a bit and thank god because this was getting very heavy and needed a little laughter. 

"Eh, that was just a little one baby. But I guess so. Popped that cherry." 

"Phew, we survived it. I hope they never get bigger then that." 

"Ha! Here's hoping darlin." I give her a deep kiss with a bit of tongue to try and put this whole thing behind us. "But you know baby... I think the rule is the bigger the fight, the better the make up sex." 

"Hmm is that so cowboy?"

"Yup, I don't make the rules sweetheart. I just follow them."

"So since this was just a "little" fight, does that mean we can only have a "little" make up sex?" She pouts and plays along and I swear I'm a goner. When she makes that face I feel as if my heart beats into overdrive. Not able to stand it, I stand up with her in my arms and carry her bridal style to our bedroom while she giggles the whole time. Laying her down on the bed, I hover over her in the dark. 

"I guess just this one time baby... we can make an exception."

"Thank god for that cowboy. Now come here."


	4. Love Bites

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the mark on her neck was most likely a curling iron burn, but this story is just pretending it is a hickey :-)
> 
> Also- this chapter is not Blake's POV like the others. 
> 
> Thanks for reading.

"So... how long will you be gone for?" 

Gwen's sitting in bed under the covers, leaning up against her headboard while she talks to Blake who's brushing his teeth in the bathroom. He's heading out early the next morning for a little hunting trip with some of his friends and although Gwen knew about the trip awhile ago, she can't say she's exactly looking forward to the time apart. Blake spits and rinses while walking out in his flannel pajama bottoms towards the bed and Gwen can't help but smile at how cute he looks in them. 

"I'll be back Monday morning darlin." He comes to sit down on the side of the bed while facing Gwen who automatically gives a little pout as she thinks about the three days and three nights she'll be without him next to her. She honestly doesn't even know she's doing her pout until Blake speaks up again. "Hey baby, that's not fare. You know I can't leave when you give that look." She smiles slightly at him for being cute as he leans in to give a sweet kiss. Pressing his forehead against hers with their eyes still closed, Blake speaks in only a whisper.

"You know... I don't have to go if you don't want me to Gwen." He's not saying it in a passive aggressive way and she knows it. She knows he would drop anything for her no questions asks and she would do the same. But that's not what she wants. 

"Baby no, go, really it's fine. I'm just playing with you that's all."

"Promise?"

"I promise cowboy. I mean... Of course I'll miss you like crazy, but I want you to go have fun with your buddies doing cowboy things. And then I'll be here, waiting for my big strong man's return." She gives a little sexy smirk at the end to give him something to think about while he's gone.

"Mmmm I like the sound of that baby." Gwen fists and pulls on the front of Blake's white tshirt bringing him towards her as she slides her body down the bed so that he is now on top of her. They start kissing passionately as Blake situates himself so that one of his legs is in between hers as she starts grinding against him. His large hands starts roaming her body as he's able to reach all the way down to her ankles and back up again. He reaches into her sleep shorts as he cups her perfect ass and squeezes gently over and over at the same rhyme of her grinding against him. 

Gwen's body is on fire as his lips move down to her neck where he begins sucking and biting gently. He's going in for the kill and it feels so good. She wants him inside of her, wants to feel his length entering her, wants to take these clothes off between them, but she doesn't want to stop this feeling right now either. The way his hands are caressing her and the feeling of his lips on hers while they grind into each other is seriously sending her close the edge. 

"Oh god..." Gwens words are breathy as she runs her nails through his curls as his head stays buried in her neck, clearly spending time marking her for days. 

"I'm gonna miss you so much baby. Let me show you how." His words alone start sending her towards her climax as he continues to thrust into her still fully clothed. 

"Blake... I'm gonna-"

"That's it baby, come for me. I know it feels good." Leaning up and pressing his forehead against hers he watches her mouth drop open and let go as she silently orgasms against him.

While her body is still tingling from her coming, she begins lifting his t-shirt over is head while he does the same to her. Her skin is so sensitive from her orgasm that once his hands touch her bare body her entire body breaks out in goosebumps and even trembles a little which Blake notices immediately.

"Hey, it's ok, I got you. Here let's move under the covers baby... better?" He gently moves her tiny body so that they are now both half naked under the covers as Gwen smiles and nods into a kiss as she pulls him foreword once again, needing his lips and his warmth.

Sliding out of her silky sleep shorts, Blake's hand stumbles a little as he notices she's not wearing any panties as she starts thrusting into him. She so wet from their foreplay and earlier orgasm that her thrusts are leaving spots of her juices right under his belly button. Unable to take the distance any longer while feeling his massive erection under his flannel pants, her hands venture down and they untie the drawstring and pull the elastic waist down exposing him completely. 

Now free of any barriers, Blake lines himself up to her warm entrance while they both catch their breaths for a sec. Pushing his head in slowly, Gwen's eyes close as she soaks in the feeling of Blake inside of her. A feeling neither of them seem to get used to. 

"Oh god Gwen. You're perfect." Once fully inside of her, it's all he can manage to get out. His heart is racing a mile a minute as he begins to slowly make love to her and he's finding it hard to breath because of how intense and overwhelming this is getting. When Gwen opens her eyes in between moans, she can feel his rapid heart rate and see from his brow how hard he's concentrating. 

"Blake, baby, look at me." Placing one of her hands on his cheek, his crystal blue eyes open to meet her deep brown ones. A sweet smile immediately falls upon her face as he slows his movements a bit and kisses her gently. She then moves her hand on his chest over his heart as she feels his heart rate leveling out more as their thrusts become deeper and more gentle. 

"Oh god, Gwen..."

"It's ok cowboy, come inside me."

"You first baby." Before Gwen can protest, Blake hoists her body up so that she's completely opened up wide as he locks her legs around his waist while thrusts into her causing her to hold onto his shoulders and biceps for dear life. 

"Fuck! Blake! Please don't stop! Oh god, oh god, ohhhhhhh godddddddddd!" Coming hard against him in that position caused Blake to orgasm as well as Gwen felt herself being filled by his warm seed. 

Out of strength, Blake slumps over on top of Gwen while she holds onto him as he softens inside of her. His head is resting on her chest as she kisses the top of his slightly sweaty curls and she runs her nails up and down his bare back causing him to flinch and get ticklish. 

"I guess that'll have to hold you over for the weekend darlin'. Hope I was enough for ya." 

Lifting his head with both her hands so his eyes meet hers, he's relieved to find a perfectly blissful look on her face that he knows will be in his dreams while they're apart. 

"You're more then enough cowboy." 

*****

Early the next morning Blake woke with his arms still around Gwen. They'd fallen asleep cuddling but anytime he'd move away slightly, he kept feeling her shiver from the cold night air. So he decided to just stay put, wrapping his warmth around his girl. It was early, maybe 5am when he realized he needed to get going. So as much as it pained him, he carefully slid out of her reach and started to get dressed quietly in the bathroom to catch his early flight out. About a half hour later, after he was packed and ready to go, he sits down on her side of the bed to gently wake her up to say goodbye. A tradition that literally pains him. 

"Gwen? Baby? Wake up sweetheart." His words are just a whisper and incredibly tender as he kisses her temple. She begins to stir with her eyes still closed clearly not realizing he's waking her to say goodbye. 

"Hmm? What is it baby?"

"My car is here. I've got to go."

"Wait, what time is it?" Her eyes shoot open as they search for the clock as Blake calms her a little while keeping her from getting out of bed.

"Shh baby it's fine, I didn't want to wake you." 

"But I could have taken you or made you coffee or something." Her eyes are watering as Blake's heart breaks a little at leaving her. 

"Honey it's fine, I wanted you to sleep. You looked so beautiful, so perfect. Like always. Besides, if you come with me to the airport there's a good chance I won't get on that plane." There's a long pause as he gives a little dimpled grin at her slight pout while they simply stare into each others eyes. Pulling her foreword, she melts into his arms for a goodbye embrace as she sniffles into his jacket. 

"Text me when you land ok?" 

"I will."

"And call me before you go to sleep ok?"

"I will." 

"And-"

"Gwen."

"Yeah?"

"I'll miss you too. More then you'll ever know baby." 

Her eyes water once again at his confession and he leans in to give her a long, sweet kiss that is over too quickly for her liking. He moves away, not trusting himself to look back at the love of his life teary eyed in bed as he walks away. Closing the bedroom door behind him, he wipes away a stray tear that he held back until out of their bedroom. As he walks down the hall towards the front door, he quickly and quietly checks on all the boys who are sleeping safely in their beds. 

The final steps towards the door as he picks up his keys are filled with dread as he notices his boots start to drag. As he turns the knob to open the front door to his car, he hears a whispered yell from behind. 

"Blake! Wait!" Before he can even turn around fully, Gwen is jumping into his arms. Her arms are wrapped around his neck as he drops his duffle bag to wrap both of his around her and lift her up off the ground as her nose is buried in his neck. Blake's heart is exploding at her gesture of racing down the hall to see him one last time. They know they're being dramatic and that it looks like he's going off to war, but they don't care and they are unapologetic to anyone who thinks they are over the top.

"God, you'd think we're used to it by now. Why doesn't this ever seem to get easier Blake?" 

Setting her down gently but still holding on, he wipes away a stray tear running down her face. "I hope saying goodbye to you never gets easier Gwen. I want it to be the hardest thing I have to do until the day I die baby." 

"I love you cowboy. Be safe."

"I love you Gwen."

Letting go of her and picking his bag up off the ground, he opens the door and looks back one last time. 

"You might want to wear a turtleneck today sweetheart." And with a slight smirk and wink, he closes he door and leaves. Gwen doesn't understand what he's talking about until she turns to look at the window by the entrance and notices a giant bruise forming on her neck from last nights events. It'll be a bitch to cover up but she can't help but grin as she replays how it happened causing her to instantly miss him already. 

"Damn you Blake Shelton." 

*****

The weekend had gone by pretty uneventfully. Friday was the normal school rush with the kids and Saturday was Zumas basketball game when Gwen bundled up to both stay warm and hide her hickey as she played with Apollo in the park outside the gym. THe only downside was that her ex husband was going to be watching as well. Of course she hated seeing him but when he asked if he could come by his game she couldn't say no. He's been gone in London and touring that he's hardly around. And even though she could care less and would prefer that her babies were with her at all times, she knows that that's selfish and that the boys probably miss their father. 

When she told Blake on FaceTime the morning of that Gavin was coming, she could see him tense up as he wished he could be there to make sure she's ok. Gwen hates when he worries and even though she'd prefer that as well, she played it cool so he could enjoy his trip and not stress about her. What she didn't tell him when they talked that Saturday night was that as Gavin was saying bye to Apollo and handing him back to her, the toddler pulled on her sweatshirt revealing the bruise Blake left on her that her ex immediately noticed. He laughed in a smug way then rolled him eyes at her. 

Gwen quickly readjusted her hoodie as she held onto Apollo on her hip trying to get away from this soon to be explosive situation. But it was inevitable. She couldn't help herself.

"Oh please, you don't have to make your eye roll THAT obvious. I get it. You don't approve Gavin."

"Ha! Oh please I could care less who you're shacking up with this month. Just try not to leave evidence for our kids at how much of a whore you're being." 

Gwen's heart dropped at him saying those horrible words in front of their toddler son. She knew he didn't know what that word meant but Apollo's face turned to concern as he saw his mom tense up while holding him. She knows kids are perceptive to these things and so instead of swearing off her ex for being so careless, she turned her attention to comforting her baby boy. 

"It's ok sweetheart, mommy's fine!" Fighting back the tears she put on her best fake smile as she bounced him on her hip. "Now say bye to daddy it's time to go." 

No, she decided not to tell Blake. He'd worry, he'd cut his trip short, he'd want to kick Gavin's ass. And although that last idea doesn't sound too bad to Gwen, she decides to just fight through it and await his return tomorrow morning while she occupies her Sunday with church and family time at home. 

It's around five o'clock Sunday evening when Gwen finds herself feeling especially blessed. It's quiet and surprisingly empty in her house that afternoon. She's sitting in one of her big comfy chairs in the family room watching Apollo build with blocks with Betty laying next to her. The older boys are playing video games in the movie room by the front door and everything just feels right to her. Maybe it was church today, maybe it's the return of her cowboy tomorrow, maybe it's her beautiful family, but she's so genuinely happy that she almost feels guilty. 

As she begins to daydream, she suddenly hears the front door unlock and she quickly wonders if she had invited her brother or Lizzie over without remembering. She hears someone enter and suddenly Betty's ears perk up as she lifts her head from Gwen's lap and stands up while wagging her tail at the familiar footsteps in the front hallway. Gwens stomach drops at the possibility that her cowboy is home early but she doesn't dare to get her hopes up. That is until she hears her two oldest boys scream out from the other room.

"Blake!" You're home!" 

A huge smile appears on her face as she looks down as Apollo who looks a little confused at all the shouting. 

"Pollo, Blakey is home!"

"Blakey!" Gwen scoops up her littlest from the floor and jogs to where the ruckus is happening. When she gets to the front door she can't help but throw her head back laughing as she finds her boyfriend under a dog pile of her kids with Betty barking and circling the chaos. 

"Alright alright! I surrender!" Blake jokingly admits defeat under the pile of tickles and light punches. The two of them soon return to their video game as Blake stays sitting on the ground petting Betty as she gives kisses to his cheek while smiling up at Gwen as she beams back at him. Apollo soon wiggles out of her arms as he reaches out for Blake needing some attention. As he walks over to him, Blake gently picks up the little guy and throws him in the air and catches him making the baby and Gwen giggle the whole time. Every time Blake tosses him up, Apollo tries to grab his baseball hat but is always unable to. Just as Blake starts to see the toddlers frustration growing, he stands up with him, sets him down on the ground and puts his hat on Apollos curly head.

"Here ya go little cowboy." And off Apollo goes running into the room with his brothers. 

Leaning up against the doorframe out of the hallway, Gwen stands there beaming at her boyfriend as he finally walks up to her and only her. 

"Hi there handsome. Take a wrong turn out in those woods?" Blake laughs and takes her in his arms and even though she's been dreaming of this moment since he left days earlier, something about the way he's holding her makes her realize that he needed this moment more. 

"I just missed you guys. And wanted to get back home to you four. The hunting was a bust cuz of the weather and I decided to leave a little early. I didn't want to spend another night without you next to me in bed if I didn't have to." 

"I'm glad you did cowboy. We missed you. Doesn't quite feel right without my whole family under one roof."

"Mmmm same darlin. Same." They share a sweet and passionate kiss against the doorframe that leaves Gwen seeing stars. As he releases her and they walk hand in hand back to the kitchen, Blake can't help but take in Gwen's outfit she's wearing. He sits on one of the bar stools at the kitchen island as she pours him a glass a wine and gets dinner started but she can't help and notice at him staring. 

"What are you staring at Blake? Do I have lipstick on my teeth or something?" 

"No no, it's just, baby, you look so freaking hot right now."

"Oh god cowboy, I think you've just been stuck with too many men the last few days." She jokes but Blake moves closer to her as he places his hands on her waist pulling her close. 

"I'm serious babe. The black boots and fishnets and little skirt and hat. I mean Jesus. It's really doing it for me honey. Did you go to church like this?" 

"Yeah... why?" She cocks an eye brow wondering where he's going with this as she can tell his mind is wondering. "Blake? Hello?"

"Sorry. I couldn't help but think about some of my old catholic school girl fantasies I had when I was a teenager." 

She blushes, then gasps and slaps his chest playfully as she tries to move away but she's not trying very hard as he kisses her neck causing her to giggle at the tickles from his scruff. "You're so bad Blake Shelton." 

"I've just got it bad for YOU baby. Real bad." 

They share a cute moment cuddling in the kitchen before eventually being interrupted when the kids coming asking when dinner will be ready.

****  
A few hours later, the boys are ready for bed and Apollo is bathed and tucked in. Gwen walks into the kitchen to find Blake doing the dishes from the tacos they'd made earlier. She loves how helpful he is. It doesn't matter that he spent a whole weekend in the woods or flew hours home earlier, he's always there to help. Like a true partner. 

"Hey Blake, Apollo is throwing a little fit about going to sleep. Do you mind reading him that barnyard book he loves. According to him, I don't do the voices of the animals as good as you do." She rolls her eyes jokingly as Blake dries his hand on a dish towel and kisses her on the cheek to cheer her up. 

"Ha, smart kid... and sure thing babe. I'll head in there now and see if I can get that little guy to sleep. And don't worry, I'll give you private lessons on your farm voices one night." She picks up the towel and whips it with him as he walks away towards the toddlers room laughing the whole time. 

Three stories, two songs and one dance party, Blake finally returned to the family room after he got Apollo to go to sleep. Gwen was sitting at the table answering emails when he walked up behind her and kissed the back of her head causing her to lean back into him and place her hand on his that was resting on her shoulder. 

"So tell me about your weekend sweetheart. Anything exciting happen?" 

"Hmm not really. You didn't miss much. Zuma won his basketball game. Todd and Jen are going to a wedding out of town next month so I think Stella and Leo are going to stay with us for a night or two. Um, I did some Christmas shopping for your family that I hope they like." 

"How did you seeing Gavin go at his game? Everything ok?" Gwen tensed up a bit which she tried to brush off. She honestly wasn't going to tell him but the fact that he asked this quickly made her realized he'd probably been worried about it ever since she mentioned it that morning. She can't lie to him, and she doesn't want to. 

"It was... interesting." Gwen avoiding his eyes as she starts fiddling with his fingers making him notice her nervousness. 

"Interesting how? Something happen babe?"

"Don't get too upset ok? It's really not a big deal." Blake's blood begins to boil as he tries to act calm but is failing miserably. "He saw the hickey from Thursday night and he just made a comment about it. That's all." 

Blake's brow furrows. "What kind of comment?" 

No answer.

"Gwen?"

"He called me a whore." Blake clenches his teeth. "...While i was holding the baby." That did it as Blake stood up and started walking towards the door. 

"No blake! Don't! It's fine, really!" Gwen yanks his arm and drags him back into the living room.

"It's not fine Gwen. He has to know he can't call you that! Hell he can't call anyone that! And in front of the kids? What's the matter with that guy?" 

"I know Blake, trust me, I was mortified he did that in front of him. But itll be ok."

Gwen gets him sitting on the couch next to her to calm him but he's still too tense. He's running his hands through his hair over and over like he does when he's stressed and Gwen feels guilty for causing him this pain. It's quiet for a while as he sits with his face in his hands and Gwen rubbing his back. When he finally speaks his words are soft and gentle.

"I'm so sorry Gwen." There's a little hitch in his voice that breaks her heart.

"What on earth are you sorry for baby?"

"I'm sorry I wasn't here. I'm sorry I went too far that night and left that mark on you. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you."

"Blake... you DO protect me. All of us. You keep us all safe, all the time baby. And we love you for that. Gavin will always be Gavin. It sucks and I wanted nothing more then to punch him in the face for saying that awful word in front of one of my kids."

"I would have paid money to see that darlin." Finally a slight smile breaks across his face and Gwen takes the opportunity to crawl into his lap to ease him off the edge even more. "He can't talk you like that Gwen."

"I know honey, but what was your plan? Go over and punch him in the face for insulting your girlfriend?" 

"Well... yeah. For starters." Gwen lets A out a small huff of laughter and kisses his cheek.

"You're cute when you're all protective."

"I just hate him Gwen. I hate him for everything he's done and said to you in the past. Stuff before we met, after we met. Everything. And the thought of anyone saying that to you makes me sick. It makes my blood boil." Gwen holds onto him tight as she buries her nose into his neck allowing him to cradle her in his arms. His words are stern but sweet as he explains his feelings. "I just... I just don't want him to cause you to go into a dark place again ya know? I don't want his words to do that to you again baby. And I'll do anything to protect you from that happening. Forever."

Gwen finally understands where his protectiveness is coming from and in some ways it's an insecurity of his. Blake's worried deep down that Gavin still and always will have some kind of hold over Gwen. Whether it's her vanity or talent or intelligence, Blake's seen first hand in the past when their divorces were still fresh how he could say one word and she'd crumble. He thought they were both past their exes claws on them but he's scared that she's not totally free. 

Running her fingers through his curls, she leans in and gives him a small kiss. "Honey... he doesn't have that power over me anymore. His words, his actions, his past or future, it means nothing to me. Yes, once upon a time it did and maybe every now and then an old insecurity comes up but my god baby, all I see is YOU. I have zero respect for that man so why would I care what someone calls me who I have no respect for? I hated that he said it in front of our kid and I'll talk to him about that, but as far as stressing about what my ex husband called me, I don't want to waste the energy. I'd much rather spend my energy thinking about how grateful I am for my strong, hot, protective cowboy who I love more then anything. Because your words are the only ones I care about Blake. I swear." 

He lets out a big sigh of relief as Gwen feels his entire body relax and melt into her as he rests his head against her chest. She's still sitting on his lap but now she's the one cradling him and she wouldn't have it any other way. They sit like that for a long time before Gwen can feel Blake falling to sleep.

"Cmon cowboy. Let's go to bed. You're exhausted."

"Mmmm ok." With his eyes still half closed, she takes him by the hand and leads him to their room. She helps him get undressed and tucked in before sliding in next to him like some perfect puzzle piece that's been missing all her life. With her head on his chest and his arm holding her close, she leans up and gives him a kiss on the cheek goodnight. 

"This right here Gwen..... This is why I came home a day early."


	5. Marilyn Stefani

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very short fluff chapter. Nothing special, just felt like writing today. Hope you like it.

It was the normal morning rush of getting the kids dressed and dropped off at school that Gwen was used to and Blake secretly loved. She'd sometimes feel bad and would apologize for the craziness but he actually loved the normalcy of it. He loved the routine. He loved the family life she's given him and that included the craziness and all. 

It was going to be a packed day. After dropping the kids off, the couple had to get to the voice set immediately. Gwen was scheduled for promos and Blake had to fit in some rehearsal time with his final contestant of the current season. He'd be doing his own promos also but since he only takes about ten minutes to get camera ready, he's able to do both. Gwen on the other hand, what with hair, make up, and styling took about five hours. It's always interesting to come up with new ways to keep her and Apollo occupied and entertained during those times. 

For these promos, all of he coaches were dressing up as classic Hollywood legends. Gwen was of course going as one of the original platinum blonde icons, Marilyn Monroe. She absolutely loved this idea. She loved transforming into old Hollywood and thanks to her amazing glam team, they are able to put their own modern spin on the take. Blake knows by now it's best to just stay out of their way till it's done, plus he actually loves being surprised by the final look so he slips out knowing he'll see her later. 

"Have a good rehearsal baby. See you in a bit. Say bye to Blakey Apollo."

"Bye bye Blakey." Apollo runs and hugs one of his legs before returning to his trucks on the ground. 

Blake kneels down and kisses his head before turning to Gwen and giving her a kiss as well. "Bye babe. Have fun guys."

The rehearsal with Sundance goes great and Blake is so excited for the finale. He already has an idea who the producers want to win but still, he's stoked he'll get the opportunity to perform on stage in front of everyone. Just as Blake is about to go over to hang out with Adam, a text comes by from Gwen. 

"Hey honey, are you still busy with your rehearsal????"

Blake senses a bit of urgency in her text and answers immediately. "Nope, just finished. What's up? Everything's alright?" 

"Yeah, it's just Apollo is getting really hyper and restless hanging out in here and I was wondering if he could hang with you. If that's ok?"

"Of course, me and the little guy can go get lunch and hang out with Adam. Maybe they'll tire each other out."

"Omg thank you! God I love you. You're a life saver."

"Anytime babe."

"Mariel can bring him over to you. Love you cowboy :)"

Just as Blake is about to round the corner to where Adam is, he hears Apollo shout out his name as he fidgets out of Mariel's arms and into his own. Gwen was right, he is hyper. 

"Hey there little cowboy. I heard you were making quite a commotion in Mommys dressing room. Huh?" Mariel laughs and rolls her eyes before taking off back to the her bosses side. "Alright lets go see uncle Adam and then get some food. Sound good?" 

"Yeahhhhhh"

"Hey Adam, hope you don't mind but I'm bringing a plus one on our lunch date." Adam laughed and gave Apollo a high five. 

"No problem, I love this little guy. Whose car should we take?" 

"Let's take mine cuz it's got his car seat in it."

"I don't know what I'm more surprised about. You holding a kid and talking about car seats, or you actually offering to drive in LA."

"Ha! Shut up. Times are changing."

"I'll say." 

****  
A few hours later, after lunch up the street at a cafe where Apollo spilled Mac n cheese on Blake's jeans and after Adam chased him around the park playing tag, a very exhausted toddler was asleep on an equally exhausted cowboy as they sat in Adams dressing room waiting for their own call times for the promos. Blake had sent a few pictures to Gwen throughout the day of them at the park and on the swings and she sent a few pretty seductive pictures back showing just enough to make him drool but not enough to show everything off. 

"How's dusty doing man?" They're talking is only a whisper to not wake Apollo as Blake keeps one hand securely on his back. 

"Oh man, it's incredible. I mean you don't really believe it until it happens to you, but having a kid changes everything. Not that I need to tell you that, I mean look at you man." He smiles and nods his head to the two year old on his chest and Blake smiles while looking down at the baby.

"Yeah I do know. Do you ever look at our lives and think like, 'How did we get here?' And I mean that in the best way. Like how'd we get so lucky." 

"I think that every time I hold my baby girl. I'm not sure how we got here... but man am I glad we did."

Just as they drifted off into their own heads to think about their lives, Adams stylist called for him to start getting ready for his promos which was Blakes cue to leave. Getting up with the kid still knocked out, he decided to make his way to Gwen's trailer to check in on her. He figured she was bound to be finishing up soon considering her call time was any minute. 

Stepping into the room, he gently put Apollo down on the couch while putting his jacket over him as a blanket and then made his way to the back where he heard everyone talking. 

"Gwen? I'm back. Apollo is taking a nap. Are you almost ready?"

"Yup, almost. I'll be out in just a sec cowboy."

A few minutes later Blake heard the back door open and Gregory, Danilo and Mariel all walk out. 

"She's in the back Blake. But remember, NO TOUCHING MISTER! You can't mess her up before the cameras see her." Danilo waved his finger jokingly at Blake who laughed and rolled his eyes. I mean, they were acting like he was some kind of animal. 

"Holy fuck Gwen..."

Standing in the back room was his girl dressed head to toe as Marilyn Monroe. She was gorgeous and Blake was literally drooling as he was stopped in his tracks when seeing her in that white halter dress. 

"What do you think cowboy?" She was leaning against the vanity and asked him in her little girl voice while looking up under her long lashes causing his erection to grow by the second. He couldn't even answer as he just stared at her entire body, taking in every curve and every inch of skin being revealed. "Hello? Blake?"

"Huh, I'm sorry did you say something baby?" Taking long strides towards her, he gently placed his hands on her hips pulling her into him as she blushed slightly at how taken by her look he was. 

"So I guess you like it?"

"I think I more then like it Gwen. Or should I say Marilyn?" Taking her hand in his, he moved it to between his legs to feel his ever growing bulge under his jeans. Biting her lip slightly, she could feel herself getting wetter simply by how much he wanted her. 

"Oh god Blake, i wish I could kiss you. But Gregory made me promise to it smear my lipstick." Leaning their foreheads together, they both gave out a heavy sigh as they heard Gwen being called for her video promos. She was shooting them separately and they knew by the time he was done she would already be gone to get the kids from school. So they literally had no more time together. And with Gwen looking the way she did, Blake was literally in pain letting go of her. 

"Shit, baby, it's a crime to leave you looking the way you look right now. All I want to do is lock that door and have my way with you Ms. Monroe." 

Gwen giggled and pushed her forehead against his chest as he kissed her curly head. "Contain yourself cowboy. I've got to get going. And so do you mister. But I'll see you tonight at home? Right?"

"Absolutely. And Keep the outfit on darlin." 

****  
Hours later, Blake was literally running to his car to get home to his girl. All he could do was picture lifting that white dress over her head and having his way with her in their bed. Everyone always knew Gwen had that Marilyn Monroe look but my god, seeing her completely made up like that will fuel his wet dreams for months to come. 

Parking his car and walking into the house he passes the kids occupied with video games in the tv room by the front door and he's hoping that Gwen is waiting upstairs for him already for a quick round in her outfit from earlier. Turning into the kitchen and family room he finds her heating up some water on the stove for her tea. She's wearing black yoga pants, A white tee shirt and her face is completely washed clean except for some chapstick. 

"Hey honey, I'm home." He walks up behind her and gives her a kiss in the crook of her neck as he comes up from behind. 

"Hi baby. How was your shoot?" She's avoiding his eyes as she pours her tea and makes herself busy in the kitchen.

"It was good, how was yours? Everyone love your Marilyn look as much as I did?" He gave a little smirk tying to get her attention and make her smile as well but not much really happened. 

"Yeah, they liked it. Sorry, I was going to stay in that look like you asked but I forgot I had to have a parent teacher conference with Kingston's teacher about his math test. And I couldn't really go all made up like that ya know? So I washed it off and changed." There's a little bit of sternness and even sadness in her voice that Blake is having trouble placing. 

"Oh well, I mean that makes sense." 

"I am sorry though. I didn't want to disappoint you, but looks like you're just stuck with me and not Marilyn." She turns away to start getting dinner ready and Blake can tell from the little hitch in her voice that this whole Marilyn thing was actually causing her a lot of insecurity. 

"Well if you ask me honey, I think I got the better end of that deal." He gave a little dimpled grin her direction which she finally smiled slightly at from across the kitchen island but it quickly faded as he saw her insecurities from a whole marriage of not being good enough come flooding back. He didn't want to shove it down her throat how crazy her fears were, but he knew he needed to do more. 

Walking up behind her, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck sweetly until he felt her melt into him. "I'm serious Gwen. I mean yeah this morning you looked great, you looked just like her. But this... this right here... this face. Well, this is the face that literally takes my breath away baby. Every single minute, of every single day." Gwen slowly turns around in his arms and leans her forehead against his shirt as she sniffles a bit at his sweet words. 

"I just.... I just.... get scared that you'll figure out one day that you like me better with my hair and makeup always done. Like how I was when you saw me this afternoon. You seemed to like me a lot me more at that moment. When Gavin and I dated, we first only saw each other at events or at our shows. So when we got married and were living together, he was disappointed at how I looked normally in everyday life. And that's when he said he liked me better with make up on all the time." She barely got that last word out as she started sobbing uncontrollably into his shirt. Blake could do nothing but hold her close and wait for her tears to subside while his heart quietly broke on the inside. 

"Shhh baby, it's ok. Please don't cry." Blake's own voice quivered a bit. He hates to see Gwen upset and even more feels guilty that something he did earlier is the reason her old insecurities have creeped back. After a few more minutes of swaying her back and forward, she finally started to calm down a bit as she continued clinging to his front. Leaning back a bit, but not daring to let go of her, Blake looked at her big brown eyes for the first time in what felt like an eternity. 

"Sweetheart, I know where these insecurities are coming from and I know how small and horrible he made you feel for years and years..." Bringing his hand up to brush a stray hair out of her face he kissed her forehead before continuing. "...But believe me when I say that I don't need any of that. I don't need the makeup perfect everyday or the hair all done or he high shoes. I don't need the costumes or the different characters... All I need baby, all I need in this entire world is You Gwen... I just need MY Gwen. And that's it."

More tears started streaming down her face but this time they were from overwhelming love instead of haunting memories. Bringing her hands up to around his neck Gwen practically jumped up into his arms as she buried her nose into his neck. He could feel her smiling into the crook which in return made him smile into her hair. 

"There's that smile beautiful. God I missed it."

"Blake... I love you. I don't know how you always find the most perfect words to bring me back from that dark place I sometimes go, but please never stop. Please baby, please don't ever stop loving me." Leaning up on her toes she brings him down for a deep kiss that makes him fall even more in love with this woman. As if it were even possible. 

"I promise baby. Till death do us part... I'm yours Gwen." 

A few more minutes of cuddling in the kitchen later and after Gwen cleans herself up a bit after her breakdown, the two of them start getting dinner on the table for the boys. As Gwen goes to grab the plates next to where Blake is cooking some vegetables, she can't help but grab his butt and whisper in his ear when the kids aren't looking.

"Maybe we can pick up where we left off this afternoon after the kids are asleep?"

"Mmmm when have I ever been able to refuse such a request from you."

"Good. Cuz I've still got that white Marilyn dress that I can slide back on cowboy."

"Hmm. That's ok beautiful. No need. This white t-shirt you got on right now is actually turning me on way more then any designer dress ever could." 

Smiling over his shoulder at her with that sexy, dimpled smirk of his, Gwen can't help but blush. This man was perfect for her and all she wanted to do was freeze time right now in her life so she could enjoy these moments forever. 

"God you're just asking for it mister."

"I'm countin' on it gorgeous."


End file.
